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Latest News for our Navy Network Download the February edition of our newsletter BROADSIDE |
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28 February Federal
government apologises to Jervis Bay community for PFAS
contaminationThe federal government has for the first time publicly apologised to the Jervis Bay community about the impact PFAS contamination of their land has had on their lives. Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said "I'm here to apologise for the PFAS contamination emanating from the defence base here in Jervis Bay has caused to the lives of locals". More..... |
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BROADSIDE - February 2023 Edition NOTE: To read Broadside in Flipbook form, click on the "Full Screen" 
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28 February Chief
of Defence Force welcomes new traineesThe Chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, officially welcomed the Australian Defence Force Academy’s (ADFA) newest trainee officers at the annual CDF Parade. The parade is a traditional marking of the trainee officers’ successful transition from civilians to members of ADFA and the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Campbell congratulated the more than 340 trainee officers on completing their familiarisation training and wished them all the best for the next three years of military training and academic study. More..... |
27 February New
vessel on the home stretchAfter five months in Western Australia preparing for service, the close-knit crew of Australian Defence Vessel Cape Naturaliste has set sail for its home port of Darwin. The Evolved Cape-class patrol boat (ECCPB) crew members will work with other government agencies as part of Operation Resolute to contribute to the nation’s fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations. Commanding Officer Cape Naturaliste Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Evain said his crew felt proud to serve on the mission. More..... |
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25 February Navy Week 2023 |
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24 February Navy
brings new sound to old ceremonyA new note rang out over the time-honoured traditional Navy ceremonial sunset at Tasmania’s Royal Hobart Regatta, marking the debut performance of a new composition from the Navy Band. Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Band – Tasmania premiered the new composition while performing a ceremonial sunset on February 10 on Hobart’s Parliament House Lawns. The music was composed for the Wind Band to play along with the Indigenous Cultural Performer on the yidaki, which is a traditional name for the didgeridoo. More..... |
23 February Tech Talk: Royal Australian Navy insights on
autonomous, unmanned systemsDefence Connect sat down with HMAS Canberra Commanding Officer Captain Jace Hutchison for the start of Navy Week, as the Royal Australian Navy opens naval bases to the public. We asked for his expert insight into the value of autonomous landing and patrol craft being trialled internationally, such as the US Navy’s USNS Apalachicola Spearhead Class expeditionary fast transport. “I think that there’s efficiencies to be gained in the use of automation, in the projection of stores and equipment ashore,” CAPT Hutchinson said. “If you take humans out of that loop then we’ve got the ability to operate continuously in that automated type of concept. However..... |
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23 February Navy Week 23 Launch It’s an exciting time to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Navy Week is a great way to learn about our work and understand why Navies are important to the Australian way of life. |
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22 February Dazzling
sight as Spey and Queen Mary 2 sail togetherIt was a moment neither those on board HMS Spey or on luxury cruise liner Queen Mary 2 expected – to sail side-by-side in the Pacific Ocean. But that is what happened when offshore patrol ship Spey found herself sailing near the Cunard liner in the Gulf of Thailand over the weekend. HMS Spey has been on patrol in the region having recently visited Cambodia and Vietnam and her commanding officer Commander Mike Proudman saw an opportunity to say hello to the 345m luxury cruise ship. More..... |
22 February ARCIMS
SeaSense: An Autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare SolutionThe underwater threat in 2023 is both real and local, and is only set to rise as technology continues to become more sophisticated. The number of submarines, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Diver Delivery Vehicles (DDVs) is increasing along with their capabilities and ability to operate in shallow, congested waters which can threaten national infrastructure, vital shipping routes, gather intelligence, deliver narcotics, or simply present a strategic threat. Operational requirements versus availability can be difficult to balance for most navies. More..... |
22 February Admiral
Gilday sees uncrewed vessels as critical to US Navy’s futureUncrewed vessels with the ability to jam electronics, spy on faraway activities and even help coordinate the flow of fighting will play an increasingly important role in the service’s mission, according to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday. Work to realize such a concept, he said Feb. 16 at the West 2023 conference in San Diego, is already underway. “Think about medium unmanned vessels that have [command-and-control] capabilities, that have [electronic warfare] capabilities, that can, perhaps, even have cyber capabilities,” said Gilday, who once led Fleet Cyber Command. “That kind of work is happening now.” More..... |
22 February Navy
opens the hatches to SydneyAfter a 10-year hiatus, Navy ships and shore establishments around Sydney will swing open the hatches to welcome the community as part of Navy Week 2023 celebrations. Sydneysiders will have a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with service men and women who are proud to showcase some of Navy’s cutting-edge technology. HMAS Penguin, home to the ADF’s sophisticated diving, hydrographic and medical training facilities, will open on Saturday, February 25. More..... |
22 February Remembering
the day WW2 hit DarwinADF personnel commemorated the 81st anniversary of the first bombing of Darwin at a service hosted by the city on February 19. The commemoration was accompanied by a re-enactment of the attack, dramatised by Army’s 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, Navy vessels and a show-stopping pair of Air Force F-35A Lighting IIs. On this date during WW2, more than 250 Allied service personnel and civilians were killed during a bombing raid by Japanese aircraft, in what was the largest single attack by a foreign nation on Australian soil. More..... |
21 February China
Showcases New A45 USV at NAVDEX 2023Chinese defence company Poly Technologies showcases a brand new unmanned surface vessel (USV) A45 at NAVDEX 2023 exhibition in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. The A45 USV is docked at the pier in the NAVDEX 2023 marina. Its primary missions are patrolling, surveillance, search and rescue, and transit around mother ships, base stations, and islands. A45 can also help with anti-piracy operations, anti-drug and anti-weapons trafficking, and preventing illegal fishing. According to Poly Technologies, the USV can be armed to attack surface targets. More..... |
21 February Austal
delivers autonomous fast transport ship to US NavyUSNS Apalachicola, the largest autonomous capability surface ship in the United States Navy, has been delivered by Austal Limited this week. The expeditionary fast transport (EPF) ship presents a major advance in independent systems for the fleet, with the ability to conduct up to 30 days of operation without human intervention. Automated features such as the machinery control system are centralised on the bridge of the vessel. More..... |
21 February BAE
delivers fifth Astute class sub to Royal NavyBAE Systems has officially delivered the fifth Astute Class nuclear-powered attack submarine, HMS Anson, to the Royal Navy with the vessel departing the company’s shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and headed out to open sea for the first time. HMS Anson began her maiden journey to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, home of the UK’s Submarine Service -— the vessel will undertake sea trials before joining HMS’ Astute, Ambush, Artful, and Audacious in operational service with the Royal Navy. More..... |
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20 February Previewing IDEX 2023 The international defense trade show calendar kicks off in a big way this week, with the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) and its naval version NAVDEX both opening up in the UAE. |
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20 February Touching
tribute for Voyager survivorsOn the moonless night of February 10, 1964, aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sent a signal to Fleet Headquarters in Sydney, which read only ‘Voyager is sunk’. The ship had collided with Daring-class destroyer HMAS Voyager and sliced it in half during a training exercise, 20 nautical miles from Jervis Bay, NSW. Almost six decades later, the Voyager Mess at HMAS Creswell aims to ensure Navy’s worst peacetime disaster is remembered. It is the first time in Navy’s history a warrant officer and senior sailor mess had been named. More..... |
20 February Major
Defence programs are affordable but may lack other resourcesOpinion: Media and political commentators invariably focus on the all-up acquisition cost of major defence programs and sometimes even add the life cycle sustainment cost to produce a gigantic total figure intended to capture attention. This mostly succeeds but does not produce the antipathy the commentator had hoped, writes former naval officer and analyst Christopher Skinner. Most people realise that such sensationalism does not identify the major challenge, which is acquiring capability that can be used when it is needed. And that may be constrained by any number of lacking resources — timeline, infrastructure, human resources both in numbers but even more so, possessing the necessary qualifications and skills, or raw materials, components, sub-assemblies or the essential information and intellectual property rights. More..... |
19 February Cirrus
wins simulation system training contractsCirrus Managing Director Peter Freed announced that the company has secured an additional Defence contract award for the support of the Generic COMCEN System (GCS) simulation training system. Under the award, Cirrus is engaged to provide expanded engineering services in support of the GCS which since 2018 has been in operational use at the Defence Force School of Signals Maritime Communications and Information Systems Wing (MCISW) at HMAS Cerberus (VIC). More..... |
18 February Wreckage
of lost WWII sub discovered nearly 80 years laterThe wreckage of a Navy submarine, which sank at least 10 enemy ships during World War II, has been discovered off the coast of Japan, the Navy announced Thursday. Naval History and Heritage Command’s underwater archaeology branch confirmed the identity of the Gato-class submarine Albacore II as the wreck site near Hokkaido, Japan, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. Dr. Tamaki Ura, from the University of Tokyo, and his team assisted in locating the long missing vessel, which was lost at sea in late 1944. More..... |
17 February RAN
pens memorandum of understanding with maritime safety
authorityThe process of moving civilian maritime into military naval capability has been streamlined under a new partnership between the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN, and chief executive officer of AMSA, Mick Kinley, signed a memorandum of understanding on 16 February, to move vessels from Australia’s civilian regulation authority to operate under a Defence Flag Administration. VADM Hammond said the MOU provided greater agility for Defence and partner agencies to quickly respond to a variety of needs and contingencies in the maritime environment. More..... |
17 February The five-domains update BAE Systems Australia has proposed building new air warfare destroyers to boost the Royal Australian Navy’s firepower at a time of growing strategic tensions in the Indo-Pacific. If it wins government approval, the company would construct an up-gunned variant of its Hunter-class frigate in 2035 with between 100 and 150 missile cells and says that would make it the most lethal warship in Australia’s history. The variant would match the firepower of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 055 Renhai-class guided missile destroyer, which is already in production. More..... |
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16 February Rearming
the Royal Australian NavyMuch has been written on the importance of guided weapons and ensuring conflicts aren’t lost through a shortage of ammunition. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles’s observation about the need for ‘impactful projection’ implies that the Australian Defence Force’s firepower will be increased, and the intent to manufacture advanced guided weapons in Australia is a welcome development. In 1995, the Royal Australian Navy possessed 368 missile cells on its major surface combatants. By 2020, that had reduced to 208, a 43% reduction in firepower. It will take until 2045 for the navy to get back up to its 1995 capacity. More..... |
16 February Third
time's a charm for Hobart localA sailor from Hobart has enjoyed three port visits to his home town since joining the Navy. Leaving home in 2011 at 19 to join, Petty Officer Combat Systems Supervisor Adam O’Brien said he didn’t expect to have a port visit back to Hobart in less than a year. “It was a shock – my first ship was HMAS Newcastle, within the week I joined we were sailing to Hobart and I’d only been in the Navy for six months,” Petty Officer O’Brien said. He returned this year for his second Royal Hobart Regatta, which he said was a fun experience and gave him a chance to see his old school friends, parents and even his grandparents. More..... |
16 February Veterans’
Legislation Reform Consultation Pathway takes shapeThe proposed pathway seeks to reform more than a century of veterans’ entitlement legislation, providing veterans the support they not only need, but deserve. The Pathway for consultation anticipates: * New claims under existing schemes will cease after a transition period, from which point all new veteran claims will be dealt with under an improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (MRCA) as the sole ongoing Act. The MRCA currently services the majority of claims. * All benefits under existing schemes will continue unaffected, with only new claims or claims relating to deteriorated conditions to instead be covered by the single ongoing Act. More..... |
14 February Tentative
UK approval given for £2bn nuclear submarine dealReports are emerging from the United Kingdom that the Sunak government has "agreed in principle" to sell the Royal Australian Navy a fleet of British-designed and potentially, partially-built fleet of nuclear powered submarines as part of the trilateral AUKUS agreement. Australia's pursuit of a fleet of nuclear powered submarines appears to be closer to fruition with the London-based newspaper The Sun revealing that Rishi Sunak's government has achieved an "in principle" agreement to provide the Royal Australian Navy with British-designed and at least, partially-built nuclear powered submarines worth an estimated £2 billion per unit at this early stage. More..... |
14 February Opportunity
to reach for the starsWhile it heavily relies on satellites, Navy has the smallest representation within Defence Space Command. Of about 200 personnel in the command, only three are Navy. Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Piggott is one of those people. He is posted as the staff officer for a protected satellite communications project, and says the command needs more Navy people to help meet Navy’s unique space needs. “Submarines and ships operate a long way from home for a long time. We need satellite communications, GPS and space-based ISR to do our jobs properly and maximise our resilience and lethality,” he said. More..... |
13 February RAN
takes delivery of 4th evolved Cape-class patrol shipThe Royal Australian Navy has taken delivery of the fourth evolved Cape-class patrol vessel from shipbuilder Austal. The vessel, ADV Cape Capricorn, was officially accepted by the Commonwealth of Australia. Austal has now delivered four Evolved Capes to the Royal Australian Navy since the contract was signed in May 2020. The 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boat is the fourth of eight to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy. The first three Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats, ADV Cape Otway, ADV Cape Peron and ADV Cape Naturaliste were delivered in March, August and November 2022, respectively. More..... |
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13 February Engineering students tour with the Navy for Careers Day Engineers Australia have gathered a group of 65 high performing Year 12 students from across NSW and the ACT interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers post high school. The Royal Australian Navy has been invited to participate in this program for the first time, and this represents the start of a significant relationship between DFR and Engineers Australia. The aim of this event is to promote STEM careers within the Royal Australian Navy to a focused target audience of suitable prospects, focusing on Electronic Technicians, Marine Technicians and Engineers. |
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13 February Navy
life at the touch of a buttonThe Navy is using 360-degree virtual reality (VR) technology to bring its people, ships and submarines to communities around Australia. The initiative aims to showcase the Navy to Australians who may not otherwise get an opportunity to visit the Navy’s busy ships, submarines and helicopters – enabling them to make more informed decisions about career pathways. Slipping on a headset, people can listen to Navy officers and sailors talk about navy life and get a glimpse of what life is really like on board an Anzac-class frigate or a Collins-class submarine. More..... |
10 February Royal
Navy to get new ‘eye in the sky’ to find and track threats
at seaThe Royal Navy will have all new ‘eye in the sky’ uncrewed aerial technology to find and track threats as part of a c£20m contract. Powerful surveillance sensors from Thales will be fitted to an S-100 uncrewed air system provided by Schiebel and feed real-time images and radar data back to Royal Navy warships on the front line from 2024. This new flexible and tactical uncrewed air system will be known as ‘Peregrine’ – a name with strong historic links to the Fleet Air Arm. More..... |
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10 February Discover the French Navy's New OPV for the Indo-Pacific Presentation of the first POM (Patrouilleur Outre-Mer or Offshore Patrol Vessel - OPV - for the overseas territories), the "Auguste Bénébig", by its commander. This new French Navy (Marine Nationale) vessel will be based in Noumea, New Caledonia, in the Southern Pacific Ocean. |
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OUR FEBRUARY HERO CAPT Theodore Eric NAVE (Eric) OBE RAN (RN)Eric Nave was an Australian Cryptographer and Intelligence Officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Navy(RN) noted for his work with joint Allied Intelligence units during World War II. Yet few Australians have ever heard of the exploits and achievements of this exceptionally talented man who did so much for the safety and security of our country. He served in the Navy from 1916 to 1949, then served as an Officer in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation until 1959. Keen to serve in World War I, he obtained an appointment in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 March 1917 as a Paymaster’s Clerk, with the rank of Midshipman, and served at sea in the Pacific. From 6 October 1918 to 4 July 1919 he was stationed aboard the training ship HMAS Tingira at Rose Bay, Sydney. Whilst serving on her, Nave began thoughts of studying Japanese. At the time, officers had to demonstrate competence in a foreign language in order for promotion to Sub-Lieutenant. Which language was Nave to choose? Looking through Kings’ Regulations [the regulations governing the Navy] I noticed that extra pay of 6 pence per day was paid to those qualified in French or German, but those proficient in Japanese received 5 shillings [ten times as much]. This discovery set me thinking. T.E. Nave And so doing, on 28 November 1918, Nave applied to his Commanding Officer to study Japanese. Continue reading this fascinating story..... |
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08 February Austal
Australia launches 5th Evolved Cape class patrol boatAustal Australia has successfully launched the fifth Evolved Cape class patrol boat (ECCPB) for the Royal Australian Navy. The future ADV Cape Woolamai, named after the headland at the south-eastern tip of Phillip Island in Victoria, was launched at the Henderson, Western Australia shipyard following approximately 12 months construction and only four months after the launch of the last ECCPB, in September 2022. The Austal team are on track to handover the vessel to Defence Australia later this year. More..... |
07 February Hobart
enters exciting new eraAfter a busy year of achievements in 2022, HMAS Hobart personnel are ready to welcome the challenges of 2023 under new command. Coinciding with the return home, a promotion of outgoing Commanding Officer Commander Andrew Pepper was held, with a subsequent change of command ceremony. Captain Pepper handed over the “weight of command” of Hobart to the vessel's fourth Commanding Officer, Commander Tina Brown. Commander Brown is the first woman to take command of a Royal Australian Navy destroyer. More..... |
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06 February Navy divers clear unexploded ordnance in Jervis Bay Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers successfully rendered safe and disposed of unexploded ordnance off the NSW South Coast near Jervis Bay on 24-25 January 2023. Australian Clearance Diving Team 1 ensured public safety and returned a well-used marine park and recreation area to a safe state by the removal of the ordnance. |
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06 February Anniversary
of the arrival of Australian Naval Clearance Divers in
VietnamToday marks 56 years since the arrival of the Australian Naval Clearance Diving Team Three in South Vietnam, an elite group who put their lives at risk clearing underwater mines and obstacles during the Vietnam War. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said the task that faced the Australian Naval Clearance Divers was complex and dangerous. “Their work did not have the same profile as that carried out by other elements of the Royal Australian Navy such as the large surface vessels or the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam, but it was absolutely vital to the safety of military and civilian shipping during the Vietnam War.” More..... |
04 February Richard
Marles hints at three-way AUKUS submarine design as White
House unveiling loomsThe design of Australia's first fleet of nuclear-powered submarines is expected to be a three-way effort, with the defence minister indicating the AUKUS agreement would result in all countries increasing their military capabilities. Richard Marles has travelled to the United States to meet US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He described it as a "flying visit" after his trip to the United Kingdom, but said it was a valuable chance for him to speak with his counterparts about nuclear-powered submarines. More..... |
03 February French
Navy to Set Sail for Round-The-World DeploymentFrench Navy amphibious warship FS Dixmude (L9015) and frigate FS La Fayette (F710) will depart on Feb. 8 for the Mission Jeanne d’Arc 2023 deployment, which will see the two ships circumnavigating the globe. The Jeanne d’Arc mission is an annual deployment for the French Navy – named for former helicopter cruiser Jeanne d’Arc (R97), which primarily served as a training ship for the French naval academy. Following the ship’s decommissioning in 2010, the French Navy began using the mission name, with one of its three Mistral-class amphibious assault ships carrying out the first deployment. More..... |
03 February Navy
divers safeguard popular siteNavy clearance divers have protected a marine park in the Jervis Bay area after removing and disposing of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Clearance Diving Team One located and disposed of a 500-pound Mark 82 general purpose bomb that had laid dormant for more than 40 years. It was discovered near a rock formation known as the ‘drum and drumsticks’, located near the entrance to Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast. More..... |
02 February Royal
Navy-led international force seizes drugs in Gulf of OmanA task force led by the Royal Navy has made a huge drugs seizure in the Gulf of Oman. US Coast Guard cutter the Emlen Tunnell was patrolling regional waters in support of Combined Task Force 150 when it seized 4,000 kg of hashish and 512 kg of methamphetamine from a fishing vessel. The drugs have a total estimated UK wholesale value of £13.2 million. CTF 150 is one of four task forces organised under the Combined Maritime Forces and the organisation’s first drugs bust of 2023. More..... |
01 February Australian hopes for Virginia class sink as Columbia
SSBNs gets priorityThe US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has concluded that the country’s already overstretched industrial base faces increasing difficulties constructing Columbia nuclear missile firing SSBNs and this is already causing delays on the Virginia program. As the third component of the nuclear deterrence triangle – along with crewed bombers and ICBMs – the Columbia class are the USN’s highest priority acquisition. “After more than a year of full-scale construction of the lead Columbia submarine, the shipbuilders are facing delays because of challenges with design, materials and quality. The shipbuilders are working to mitigate delays using additional shipyard resources, such as more staff to complete work more quickly. More..... |
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01 February Community praise for Defence flood response Members of Royal Australian Air Force No. 77 Squadron work to remove flood damaged items from affected properties in Fitzroy Crossing. The Australian Defence Force is providing assistance to the Western Australian Government in the Kimberley Region where heavy rainfall from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie has isolated communities. At the request of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Defence is providing transport aircraft, helicopters and personnel to assist flood-affected residents. |
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01 February Digital shipyard tool boosts programBAE Systems Maritime Australia, who will deliver nine state-of-the-art Hunter-class frigates for Navy, have further enhanced the shipbuilding process by developing a revolutionary tool. The Hunter-class will be one of the most advanced anti-submarine warfare vessels in the world and the Hunter digital simulation tool (HUDS) will help to optimise the program schedule through automated decision-making logic. A manual scenario analysis that would typically take two weeks to develop using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and paper cut-outs, can be processed by HUDS in as little as two minutes. More..... |
01 February FlyByA periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. February Edition..... |
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For all news articles prior to 01 February 2023 go to our News Archive page |
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